1.1 Kyros Magnus Appreciation Society (KMAS): Longing

It was a warm and pleasant morning. The clock was about to strike ten, and the city of Meridian was already abuzz with life and motion. The throng of merchants filled the markets, laughter of children pervaded the streets, and the incessant chatter of a million souls infused the great city with possibilities and the promise of an interesting day. Everyone from the lowest street urchin to the noblest scion went about their daily tasks. The fishwives sold their catch, the guards patrolled the streets, and students from the Stormhaven Academy of Magic ran around the hallways, trying to get to the next class. Even Queen Seraphina Stormborn, seated upon her throne in the royal palace of Meridian, listened dutifully to various petitions from her subjects.

Even as the city went about its day, busy with whatever thoughts occupied its mind, something important felt missing. Everyone in the city sensed it, irrespective of their age, race, or station in life. Something essential to the city, something that was part of the very fabric of its existence was no longer there. This feeling was not limited to the sentient races; even the animals and birds felt it. They, along with the street urchins whose play had brought them there, congregated around the magnificent smiling statue of the Great Mage Kyros Magnus.

The statue of the Great Mage was the first thing anyone entering Meridian saw, and it was a canvas for the population of the entire city. Maidens adorned it with flowers every morning, mothers took their children to pray before the statue and earn the blessing of the Great Mage, and children scribbled graffiti on it, ignoring any weak attempts at crackdown. Newcomers to the city were often scandalized by all the graffiti on the statue of such a great man until the locals explained that much of the vandalism was carried out by the Great Mage himself.

While the street urchins continued playing and the animals and birds lazed around the statue, a mother and a daughter were praying before the Great Mage. The girl had already finished asking for chocolates and new toys, but her mother had insisted that she close her eyes again and pray for a whole minute for useless things such as good marks and better behavior. The little girl, in a moment of tiny rebellion, opened one of her eyes and looked at the statue, only for it to give her a playful wink.

"Mommy, the Great Mage winked at me," the girl cried out.

"Don't be silly, Esmeralda, it's just a statue. Keep praying," the mother insisted.

"But, Mom, he really did. The statue is alive."

"It's not alive, you silly girl. It's a trick of the Great Mage. You will learn it if you get into the Academy. Now pray for better marks; your previous test scores were horrible."

"I don't understand why I have to study; the Great Mage never went to school," the daughter complained.

"That's because he is a genius. If you were a genius, I could also directly send you to the Academy. Now keep praying, or I'll ask the Great Mage to turn you into a rabbit."

"Like you can ask the Great Mage to do anything. Every time he comes around the stall you start blushing."

The mother's cheeks immediately turned red. "I...I was not blushing, okay? I was...just flustered. It's all that red hair."

"Admit it, Mom, you have a crush on him."

"I...I don't have a crush..." The moment she started saying it, the mother felt how hollow it sounded. "Alright, fine. I have a crush on him, just like every other girl in the city. What's the big deal? You can't use that as an excuse to get out of your prayer. Now get to it."

The daughter pouted and went back to praying.

"I wonder when he'll be back," the mother said to herself. "Haven't seen him in three days. Hope he is doing alright."

Esmeralda's mother was not the only one missing the Great Mage. The street urchins missed him, the merchants in their stalls missed him, the guards patrolling the streets missed him, students at the Academy missed him, maids at the palace missed him, and his best friend, Queen Seraphina, missed him. But what about his home? When so many people missed the Great Mage, surely those who saw him and dealt with him every day must have missed him terribly? Or did they?

The Magnus estate felt a little gloomy but a lot more peaceful without Kyros Magnus in it. The maids of the estate had existed in a state of peace and serenity for the past three days, contrasting sharply with their usual wary disposition as a defensive measure against Kyros' pranks. No magical armors had chased them around the mansion for three days, the kitchen utensils had not spontaneously burst into a song and dance routine, and no one had mixed up the labels for all the spices in the storeroom. Despite all the tranquility, not having Kyros around was very boring. The estate and the maids were a lot more lively when he was home, and they did dearly miss him. But the person who missed him the most was undoubtedly his beloved wife, Liriel Magnus.

Liriel had kept herself busy with work for the past three days. This morning she had already finished two business meetings, one with the Dwarven Trade Consortium and another with a delegation from the Dark Elven King. Now she was in her office reviewing the ledgers of her vast trade empire. Sitting before her was Barnabas Ironhammer, her 82-year-old Dwarf secretary. As Liriel reviewed the ledgers, she constantly asked Barnabas questions, which he answered as precisely as possible. The monotony of the discussion was broken when they heard footsteps and the clatter of cups, followed by a gentle knock on the office door. Mabel, the 65-year-old motherly head maid of the estate, had brought them some coffee. She placed one of the cups before the lady of the estate and another before the elderly dwarf.

Liriel picked up the cup and said, "Thank you, Aunty Mabel."

"Don't mention it, dear," the maid replied. "How are you holding up?"

"I am doing alright."

"It's only two more days, my lady," Mabel said. "He will be back before you know it. You have been speaking to him every day, right?"

"I have. But not having him around is still...I don't know. The house feels empty without him."

"I know, dear. He is always running around the place doing some mischief. It's not the same if he is not around."

Both women chuckled as they recalled some of Kyros' pranks.

"I for one am perfectly happy," said the dwarf. "These have been the best three days of my life in years."

"Oh hush. How can you say that, Barnie?" Aunty Mabel chided. "Talking ill about the master of the house. I won't hear of it."

This entire exchange made Liriel laugh out loud, which scandalized Aunty Mabel even more.

"Leave him be, Aunty," Liriel said. "He is just happy that his beard is safe, and nobody is trying to shave it."

"An extremely fortuitous set of circumstances," Barnabas added, which prompted another round of scolding from Aunty Mabel.

While the secretary and the head maid continued to argue, in between sips of her coffee, Liriel's thoughts once again kept drifting back to Kyros. When her cup was empty, Liriel stood up abruptly and declared, "I am going to meet Sera."

"But my lady, we still have to go over this week's shipping ledgers."

"Master Ironhammer, I have finished two important meetings just this morning, and we have done most of the review. I think I have earned myself a break."

The dwarf grumbled a little but did not contradict his mistress. Aunty Mabel on the other hand, enthusiastically called one of the maids and told her to arrange a carriage for the palace.